degeneracy

plural degeneracies

1. countableuncountableThe state of being degenerate (in all senses).

   Inveterate abuse of drinking in nonhereditarily disposed persons creates a degeneracy like the hereditary.

   1893, Circulars of Information of the Bureau of Education, United States. Office of Education, page 133

   1 more example

   If it be true, that the preſent age is more corrupt, than the preceding, the great multiplication of Novels has probably contributed to its degeneracy.

   1800, Vicesimus Knox, “Essay XIV (On Novel reading)”, in Essays Moral and Literary, volume I, page 100

   Synonyms: baseness, depravity, perversion, baseness, corruption, defilement, degradation, depravation

2. countableuncountablemedicineThe ability of one part of the brain to take over another's function without being overexerted.
3. countableuncountablemathematicsA limiting case of a class of objects which appears to be qualitatively different from (and usually simpler than) the rest of the class.